Just Beginning
Introduction
Is Ubuntu for You?*
Which Ubuntu to pick?
Installing Ubuntu inside XP
Plan Partitions
Download and Burn Ubuntu
Burn ISO from Mac
Install Desktop CD Ubuntu
Install Alternate CD Ubuntu*
Modest Specs
Where's the Terminal?
Password in Terminal
Install Software
Extra Repositories*
File Permissions
Security in Ubuntu

Next Steps
Install Nvidia Drivers
Mount Windows
Install Proprietary Software
Install Flash
Install Java
Install MP3 Playback
Finding iTunes Alternatives
Export as MP3 in Audacity
Install New Firefox*
Use Wine

Beyond the Basics
Backing up Ubuntu
Upgrade Ubuntu*
Make a /home partition
Change boot menu
Downgrade Firefox in 8.04
Install Mozilla's Firefox
Install Internet Explorer
Mount Linux
Use PartImage

Playing Around
Enable Desktop Effects
KDE/Gnome Comparison
Install Gnome
Install KDE
Install XFCE
Install IceWM
Install XPDE
Pure Gnome
Pure KDE
Pure XFCE
A faster KDE
Replacing Nautilus

Troubleshooting
No graphical login
Can't sudo
Graphical sudo
Forgot password

* Off-site link

Getting Back to a Pure XFCE on Ubuntu

If you used aptitude to install other desktop environments, you will not need this tutorial, as you can just type

sudo aptitude remove kubuntu-desktop
or
sudo aptitude remove ubuntu-desktop
to get back to your "pure XFCE."

If you didn't have as much foresight and chose instead to install KDE or Gnome through Synaptic or apt-get, this is how to remove those desktop environments from your XFCE.

Note, this applies only to Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy). If you're using Feisty, go here. If you're using Edgy, go here. If you're using Dapper, go here.

Remove Ubuntu
Paste this command into the terminal:

sudo apt-get remove alacarte aspell bittorrent bluez-cups bluez-gnome bluez-utils bogofilter bogofilter-bdb bogofilter-common brltty brltty-x11 bsh bug-buddy capplets-data cdrdao cli-common compiz compiz-core compiz-fusion-plugins-extra compiz-fusion-plugins-main compiz-gnome compiz-plugins consolekit contact-lookup-applet dcraw deskbar-applet dictionaries-common diveintopython ekiga eog espeak evince evolution evolution-common evolution-data-server evolution-data-server-common evolution-exchange evolution-plugins evolution-webcal f-spot fast-user-switch-applet firefox-gnome-support fping gcj-4.2-base gconf-editor gedit gedit-common gij gij-4.2 gimp-python gnome-about gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-btdownload gnome-control-center gnome-desktop-data gnome-doc-utils gnome-keyring-manager gnome-media gnome-menus gnome-netstatus-applet gnome-nettool gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-pilot gnome-pilot-conduits gnome-power-manager gnome-session gnome-spell gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-user-guide gnome-utils gnome-volume-manager gstreamer0.10-alsa gstreamer0.10-esd gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-apps gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gstreamer0.10-tools gstreamer0.10-x gthumb gtkhtml3.14 hal-device-manager hwdb-client-common hwdb-client-gnome libalut0 libao2 libart2.0-cil libavc1394-0 libbeagle0 libbluetooth2 libcaca0 libcamel1.2-10 libcdio6 libcompizconfig-backend-gconf libcompizconfig0 libcucul0 libdecoration0 libdeskbar-tracker libdv4 libebook1.2-9 libecal1.2-7 libedata-book1.2-2 libedata-cal1.2-6 libedataserver1.2-9 libedataserverui1.2-8 libeel2-2 libeel2-data libegroupwise1.2-13 libexchange-storage1.2-3 libgcj-bc libgcj-common libgcj8-1 libgconf2.0-cil libgda3-3 libgda3-common libgdl-1-0 libgdl-1-common libgdl-gnome-1-0 libgksu1.2-1 libgksuui1.0-1 libgl1-mesa-dri libglade2.0-cil libglew1.4 libglib2.0-cil libgmime-2.0-2 libgmime2.2-cil libgnome-pilot2 libgnome-vfs2.0-cil libgnome-window-settings1 libgnome2.0-cil libgnomevfs2-bin libgnomevfs2-extra libgpod2 libgsl0 libgtk2.0-cil libgtkhtml2.0-cil libgtkhtml3.14-19 libgtkhtml3.8-15 libgtksourceview2.0-0 libgtksourceview2.0-common libhsqldb-java libicu36 libiec61883-0 libjaxp1.3-java libjline-java liblpint-bonobo0 libmono-cairo1.0-cil libmono-corlib1.0-cil libmono-corlib2.0-cil libmono-data-tds2.0-cil libmono-security2.0-cil libmono-sharpzip2.84-cil libmono-sqlite2.0-cil libmono-system-data2.0-cil libmono-system-web2.0-cil libmono-system1.0-cil libmono-system2.0-cil libmono0 libmono2.0-cil libmtp6 libmusicbrainz4c2a libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil libndesk-dbus1.0-cil libneon26 liboil0.3 libopal-2.2 libopenal0a libpam-gnome-keyring libpisock9 libpisync0 libpt-1.10.0 libpt-plugins-alsa libpt-plugins-v4l libpt-plugins-v4l2 librarian0 libraw1394-8 librsvg2.0-cil libservlet2.4-java libshout3 libsndfile1 libsoup2.2-8 libsvg1 libtracker-gtk0 libtrackerclient0 libvisual-0.4-0 libvorbisenc2 libvorbisfile3 libwavpack1 libwpg-0.1-1 libwps-0.1-1 libxalan2-java libxerces2-java libxml2-utils mono-common mono-gac mono-jit mono-runtime nautilus nautilus-cd-burner nautilus-data nautilus-sendto o3read openoffice.org openoffice.org-base openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-evolution openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk openoffice.org-hyphenation openoffice.org-impress openoffice.org-java-common openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer pkg-config python-bittorrent python-gmenu python-gnome2-extras python-pygtksourceview python-uno rdesktop rhythmbox rss-glx serpentine sound-juicer ssh-askpass-gnome tangerine-icon-theme tomboy totem-mozilla tracker tracker-search-tool tsclient ttf-opensymbol ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-docs ubuntu-sounds usplash-theme-ubuntu vino whois xdg-user-dirs xdg-user-dirs-gtk xsane xsane-common xsltproc yelp && sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

Remove Kubuntu
Paste this command into the terminal:

sudo apt-get remove adept adept-batch adept-common adept-installer adept-manager adept-notifier adept-updater akregator amarok amarok-xine apport-qt ark arts bluez-cups bluez-utils bogofilter bogofilter-bdb bogofilter-common brltty bsh cdrdao debtags dictionaries-common digikam dolphin enscript fftw3 foomatic-db-gutenprint fping gcj-4.2-base gdebi-kde gij gij-4.2 gnupg-agent gpgsm gtk-qt-engine gwenview hplip-gui hwdb-client-common hwdb-client-kde ijsgutenprint k3b kaddressbook kaffeine kaffeine-xine kamera karm katapult kate kbstate kcontrol kcron kde-guidance kde-guidance-powermanager kde-icons-mono kde-style-polyester kde-systemsettings kdeadmin-kfile-plugins kdebase-bin kdebase-data kdebase-kio-plugins kdebluetooth kdegraphics-kfile-plugins kdelibs-data kdelibs4c2a kdemultimedia-kfile-plugins kdemultimedia-kio-plugins kdenetwork-filesharing kdenetwork-kfile-plugins kdepasswd kdepim-kio-plugins kdepim-kresources kdepim-wizards kdeprint kdesktop kdesudo kdm kdnssd keep kfind kghostview khelpcenter kicker kio-apt kio-locate kio-umountwrapper kipi-plugins klipper kmag kmail kmailcvt kmenuedit kmilo kmix kmousetool kmplayer-base kmplayer-konq-plugins knetworkconf knotes konq-plugins konqueror konqueror-nsplugins konsole kontact konversation kooka kopete korganizer kpdf kpf kppp krdc krfb kscreensaver ksmserver ksnapshot ksplash ksplash-engine-moodin ksvg ksysguard ksysguardd ksystemlog ktorrent kubuntu-artwork-usplash kubuntu-default-settings kubuntu-desktop kubuntu-docs kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts kvkbd kwalletmanager kwin kwin-style-crystal language-selector-qt libakode2 libao2 libarts1-akode libarts1c2a libartsc0 libaudio2 libavahi-qt3-1 libbluetooth2 libclucene0 libcluceneindex0 libdbus-qt-1-1c2 libept0 libexiv2-0 libflac++6 libgcj-bc libgcj-common libgcj8-1 libgl1-mesa-dri libgmp3c2 libgpgme11 libgpod2 libgsl0 libicu36 libid3tag0 libifp4 libijs-0.35 libimlib2 libjaxp1.3-java libjline-java libk3b2 libkbluetooth0 libkcal2b libkcddb1 libkdcraw1 libkdepim1a libkexiv2-1 libkipi0 libkleopatra1 libkmime2 libkonq4 libkpimexchange1 libkpimidentities1 libksba8 libkscan1 libksieve0 libktnef1 liblua50 liblualib50 libmimelib1c2a libmtp6 libmusicbrainz4c2a libmysqlclient15off libneon26 libnjb5 libofa0 libopenexr2c2a libopenobex1 libpoppler-qt2 libpq5 libpth20 libpythonize0 libqt-perl libqt3-mt libqt4-core libqt4-gui libraw1394-8 librsync1 libruby1.8 libsamplerate0 libsearchclient0 libskim0 libsmokeqt1 libsndfile1 libstreamanalyzer0 libstreams0 libstrigihtmlgui0 libsvg1 libtunepimp5 libungif4g libvisual-0.4-0 libvorbisenc2 libvorbisfile3 libwpg-0.1-1 libwps-0.1-1 libxalan2-java libxapian15 libxerces2-java mysql-common network-manager-kde networkstatus openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-hyphenation openoffice.org-impress openoffice.org-java-common openoffice.org-kde openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-crystal openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer perl-suid pinentry-qt poster psutils pykdeextensions python-kde3 python-qt3 python-qt4 python-qt4-dbus python-sip4 python-uno python2.5-dev qca-tls rdesktop rdiff-backup restricted-manager-kde ruby ruby1.8 scim-qtimm skim software-properties-kde speedcrunch strigi-applet strigi-daemon ttf-arphic-ukai ttf-opensymbol vorbis-tools && sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

If you have suggestions or corrections for these tutorials, please post in this Ubuntu Forums thread or leave a comment on my blog.